Flexible Teaching for Emergencies
Basics of Flexible Teaching
- Provide a strong asynchronous framework for your course even if it's a fully face to face course. This will give you the strongest foundation for pivoting the course if needed, and/or responding to individual students' needs for flexibility. Make sure the following items are available on Canvas:
- Required:
- Syllabus and course schedule
- Communication via announcements and the Canvas In-box
- Updated grades
- Recommended:
- Instructional materials
- Lecture recordings from synchronous meetings, pre-recorded lectures, or materials provided in face to face settings (e.g. powerpoints)
- Assignment submission opportunities
- Engagement opportunities such as discussion boards
- Required:
- "Flexible" does not mean "identical." Carefully planned face to face activities are special; the experience is not the same as other formats. Having a flexible course provides different, acceptable, well-crafted, productive paths for students to succeed in meeting learning outcomes -- it doesn't provide every student with the exact same experience.
- "Flexible" does not mean "everything for everyone." Create course policies that allow for flexibility in due dates, participation strategies, make-up work, etc., but do not place such a burden on you that you're unable to meet other students' needs because you are constantly responding to individual situations.
Top Flexible Course Resources
- . This rubric supports and identify exemplary practices for online and blended courses. It is relevant for face to face courses as well.
- . The UDL framework guides the design of instructional goals, assessments, methods, and materials so that all students' needs are met. The heart of UDL is multiple means of engagement, action & expression, and representation.
- . Created by Dr. Kevin Kelly for the CSU, housed in Canvas. Requires CPP log-in.